Denton's heart stirred slightly.
The surroundings rippled like water, and Bernadino's height shot up to that of a down-and-out youth of about seventeen or eighteen — although still a teenager, his stubble and features made him seem like a twenty-seven- or twenty-eight-year-old.
He himself had turned into a kindly old man with white hair.
"...How about it, Bern?"
Denton chuckled with a benign voice, "Would you like to come with me to the Tower of Black Radiance?"
"But, but I'm already seventeen... Is it still possible?"
Bernadino's gaze wavered.
In his eyes, Denton saw the familiar, newly kindled flame of hope—
And just as skillfully, he snuffed it out:
"Of course—"
He drew out his words, chuckling, "As long as you have money. I can give you a referral spot.
"Five hundred pounds, an opportunity to change fate, not expensive, right? So, do you have the money?"
Naturally, Bernadino did not.
Let alone five hundred pounds, his entire fortune amounted to only three pounds.
